The Chinese government is planning to introduce stricter regulations targeting the development of artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on content controls and licensing. According to the Financial Times, China's Cyberspace Administration (CAC) is considering implementing a licensing system that would require local companies to obtain a license before releasing generative AI systems. The move represents a tightening of preliminary draft regulations released in April, which required businesses to register with authorities within 10 working days of product launch. The new licensing scheme is expected to be part of forthcoming regulations, set to be published by the end of this month.
The draft regulations released in April also included mandatory safety reviews for AI-generated content. The government specified that all content should reflect "core socialist values" and should not undermine state power, advocate the overthrow of the socialist system, incite secession, or undermine national unity. Chinese tech and e-commerce companies such as Baidu and Alibaba have launched AI tools that compete with the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT this year. Sources cited by the Financial Times claim that these companies have been engaging with regulators to ensure compliance with the new regulations.
The draft regulations also hold tech companies accountable for any content created using their AI models. Chinese authorities are emphasizing the responsibility of these companies in curbing the potential risks associated with AI-generated content. Similar calls for regulations of AI-generated content have been made by regulators worldwide. In the United States, Senator Michael Bennet recently sent a letter to tech companies urging them to develop AI-generated content tagging technology. Vera Jourova, the European Commission's vice-president for values and transparency, has also emphasized the need for Generative AI tools with "disinformation potential" to flag the content they produce in order to combat the spread of false information.
